Parenting Style and Students Social Adjustment on Academic Performance Among Secondary School Students in Ondo State
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the objective is to investigate parenting style and students social adjustment on academic performance among secondary school student in Ondo State. The specific objectives are;
- To find out the influence of parenting styles (Autocratic, Democratic and Permissive) on social adjustment on academic performance among secondary school students in Ondo State.
- To investigate the influence of parents‟ education on social adjustment on academic performance among secondary school students in Ondo state
- To determine whether there is gender difference in the social adjustment of male and female among secondary school student in Ondo state.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
There is always need for very critical review of related literatures in order to have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter from the past and present view of psychologist and researchers as regard to the greater understanding of the topic under discussion.
Conceptual Framework
Adjustment
According to Oxford Advanced Learners of current English dictionary (7th Ed.) adjustment means a change in the way a person behaves or thinks.Aiken and Gary (2006) considered the social attachment of adjustment where they defined adjustment as an ability to cope with social situations and achieve satisfaction of one‟s needs. Bhatia (2003) also considered adjustment in the social point of view where he or she says that it means adaptation to physical environment as well as to social demands. Bhatia (2003) further explains that no human being can live apart from his physical environment. He says that there is action and reaction chain going on between the individual and his environment. Then there are social pressures and demand socialization. To these may be added the individual personal demands such as the satisfaction of physiological needs. And this complex functioning of the person demands adjustment.
Kundu and Tutoo (1998:529) see the term adjustment to refer to a harmonious relationship between the person and the environment. They said that the degree of harmony depends upon two things.
Certain potentialities within a persons and Character of the environment
They also continued to explain that a person is said to be adjusted when he is so related to reasonably adequate environment that he is relatively happy, efficient and has a degree of social feelings. In simple word they said that adjustment is an all-inclusive term meaning relationship between an individual and his environment through which his needs are satisfied in accordance with social demands. But, Gates and Jersild in Mangal (2005) stated that adjustment is a continual process in which a person varies his behavior to produce a more harmonious relationship between himself and his environment. Shaffer as cited in Mangal (2005) considered adjustment in the area of need satisfaction process where he state that adjustment is the process by which a living organism maintain a balance between its needs and the circumstances that influenced the satisfaction of these needs.
Obeh (2009:4) states that a good number of psychologists such as Child (1981) and Eweniyi and Ogunsanya (2006) perceive adjustment as a necessary phenomenon that preludes peace and peaceful co-existence in human cohabitation, while Onyejiaku (1991) likens adjustment to an oversized and undersized new clothe that necessarily requires adjustment before achieving correct shape and usage. Denga (1986:192; 2002:90) defines adjustment as harmonious, congruence or a goodness of fit between an individual and standards against which an individual is adjudged. Denga (2002: 104) has typed adjustment into three(3) where he states that adjustment can be viewed as falling roughly into the following categories;-
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
The main purpose of the chapter is to highlight the research design, the population of the research, sample and sampling techniques, instrumentation, data collection procedure and method to be used for analysis of the data.
Research Design
The researcher adopted the ex-post facto research design. The ex-post facto design is used because in this study the researcher only attempts to link some already existing effect or observation to some variables as causative agents. The researcher finds that the subjects are already assigning to or classified into the various levels of the variables whose effect are being investigated and he cannot alter this.
In other words, the design is used because the researcher is only basically studying the events that are observed to have indeed taken place already or the data are collected after the event or phenomenon under investigation has taken place; hence the name ex-post facto or causal– comparative derives from the fact that in this type of study, groups differentiated in terms of some independent variable. Differences in the dependent variable across the groups are attributed to independent variables.
The design is chosen because it is very appropriate to use where it is not possible for the researcher to manipulate the independent variable directly. In this study the researcher is neither experimentally manipulating nor having total control of the two (2) independent variables under study. Ex-post facto design, yield useful preliminary information regarding the possible causes of some events on the basis of which confirmation studies could be undertaken using experimental design.
Population of the Study
The population of the study comprised the SS2 students of Senior Secondary Schools Akure South Local Government of Ondo. According to physical visit and enquiries made by the researcher from the Akure South. It covers the whole senior secondary schools in Akure South Local Government Area, while it captured some few senior secondary schools in parts of Owo, Akure North and Idanre Local Government Areas.
CHPTER FOUR
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
This chapter focuses on the analysis of data collected through the two instruments used for this study. The study is aimed in finding the influence of parenting styles and parents‟ education on social adjustment of senior secondary school students. SSII students were used for the study because of their stability in school process and adaptation to school environment. The respondents were both male and female senior secondary school students from urban and rural areas of the state. Their ages range from 12 to 24 years. The data were analyzed based on the hypotheses raised by the researcher mainly focused on the objectives of the study.
In order to verify and determine the statistical evidence of the data analysis, one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test were used to test the hypotheses that guide the study. The significant level of 0.05 was adopted as the basic for accepting or rejecting hypotheses. Three hundred and sixty-eight (368) copies of the questionnaires were distributed and all were collected back by the researcher himself.
Under Bio-data, section of the questionnaire, question “2” and “3” were used to determine the parents‟ educational level. The highest educational qualification obtained by the parents of the students was used as indices. From no formal to secondary education was considered as the lowest educational qualification while higher education was considered as the highest education qualification attained by the students‟ parents.
Higher education has two (2) marks while lower education has one (1) mark. Where a student has father with higher and mother with lower and vise versa, his parents‟ educational qualification is considered approximately to be higher. But where a student has a father with lower and mother with lower, his parent’s education is considered to be lower. And also where a student has a father with higher and mother with higher his parents are considered to be under highly educated parents.
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
This chapter consists of summaries of the whole research work and major findings. A conclusion is also going to be drawn recommendations made from the findings and conclusions of the work are also going to be presented in this chapter
Summary
Parental educational level is an important predictor of children’s educational behavioural outcomes. Parenting styles (child-rearing practices) are socializing processes in any social group that have tremendous influence on the individual Childs, moral judgment and social adjustment. In social climate that is conducive, affectionate, cordial lovely, and peaceful, children develop moral judgment quickly and behave morally on the process of their development.
Adjustment is a dynamic concept and applies to everyone. Social adjustment has many components such as ability to interact with others, ability to participate in social activities as well as conforming to social norms, values and disciplines. Parents are in position to provide the child’s first social setting in which mutual liking love and affection are nurtured either between the child and themselves or other relations.
In our secondary schools system today, some students appear to be socially adjusted while others are not. Some problem discovered by the researcher and those reflected from previous studies indicate that, there is a serious manifestation of maladjusted behavior of students in institution of learning. Among the behavior commonly discovered and reported are unfriendliness, stealing indiscipline conduct like assault, rape, destruction of school property (rioting) fighting among themselves, examination malpractices, and secrete cult activities involving lost of lives. This maladjustment has led to absenteeism, truancy, low achievement and other unworthy habits of students. Because of the very limited research done in the area of social adjustment difficulty of students, this topic will be worth researching.
The objective of the study is to find out parenting style and students social adjustment on academic performance among secondary school students in Ondo State. Some of the research questions poised by the researcher are, to what extent does parents‟ education; parenting style, (i.e Autocratic, Democratic and permissive) and gender have an influence in social adjustment of students of senior secondary schools. The hypotheses raised were: There is no significant difference in mean scores of social adjustment test of students brought up under autocratic, democratic or permissive parenting styles in Senior Secondary Schools. There is no significant difference in social adjustment test of the students from parents with high and low educational level. The assumptions in the mind of the researcher are that students from parents with higher educational qualification and democratic parents will score higher in social adjustment test in Senior Secondary Schools, than those from Autocratic, permissive and lower educational qualification parents. The study covers SS II students of Senior Secondary Schools Akure South, Ondo State.
.The study will be very significant in that it will help the parents, the teacher and the generality of the public to know specifically where the root cause of students‟ social adjustment problem (maladjustment). The recommendations will also help the government to organize centers where both teachers and parents will be given general counseling services in the area of their needs, especially in the areas of their relationship with their students and children so as reduce students adjustment difficulties (problems).
Adjustment is defined as an adaptation to physical environment as well as to social demand. Social adjustment is defined by Remmers and Gage (2005) as how an individual gets along into other people. For instance in schools, this means largely how well pupil get along with his fellow pupils. The characteristics of well adjusted personality include enjoying of kind inner harmony; he is at peace with himself, just as he is at peace with others. Regardless of occasional all setbacks and disappointment, he will continuous to strive for the goal he has set for himself.
Factors influencing adjustment at home includes, sense of security or home atmosphere, attitudes of the parents, economic, condition, of the family, over-ambitious parents, discord between the parents, size of the family, two parents home, single child family or an only child family, etc. Other factors include birth order, intelligent (bright), attendance at before school care. Etc.
Previous literatures on relationship between social adjustment and other variable related to the topic have been overviewed, e.g. parents‟ education, gender difference and impact of social adjustment on learning. Concept of parenting styles, the three types of parenting styles. Autocratic, Democratic and Permissive parenting styles and their relationship to social adjustment have been touched.
Theories of adjustment have been mentioned and explained. E.g. Moral theory (model) which says that adjustment is based on morality, those who follow norms are adjusted and those who violate norms or laws are maladjusted. Medico-biological theory (model) states that adjustment is based on diseases in the tissue of the body acquired during birth or by accident. Psychoanalytic theory (model) explains that adjustment is based on function of the three (3) layers of creation, conscious, subconscious and unconscious. For satisfaction of wishes, drives and motives of man, being a pleasure seeking and pains avoiding animals. Socio-genic (cultural) theory or model states that society and culture affects ones way of behavior. Adapted to culture are well-adjusted while non-adopted to culture are maladjusted. Behavioural theory or model explains that behaviours are not inherited; environment and social institution influence it. Normal and abnormal behaviours are also learnt.
The researcher adopted the ex-post facto research design. This is because the researcher is only basically studying an event that is observed to have indeed taken place already.
The population of the study comprised SS II students of senior secondary schools Akure South of the State Ministry of Education Ondo. There are 9, 197 SS II students which constitute 45% of the total students in the zone. 368 students from ten (10) senior secondary schools sampled are used for the study.
Questionnaires were used to collect data in this study. Parenting Style Questionnaire (P.S.Q) and Social Adjustment Scale Modified (S.A.S.M) were used in collecting data from the students. Both the two (2) questionnaires adopted the linker scale of measurement with five point scale. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires have been established by the researcher before it’s administration to the students. The reliability co-efficient of the two questionnaires were found to be 0.79 and 0.64 respectively, after pilot testing.
The questionnaires were administered and collected back by the researcher himself. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test hypothesis one (1). T-test was used to test hypothesis two (2) and three (3).
The first finding of the study shows that there is a significant difference between the means scores on social adjustment test of students brought up from autocratic, democratic and permissive parenting styles. This is indicating that parenting styles has an influence on students‟ social adjustment in senior secondary schools in Ondo state. This is because the mean responses to the influence of the parenting styles on social adjustment revealed mean of 48.86 for democratic parenting style 40.22 for autocratic parenting style and 28.31 for permissive parenting style respectively
The second finding of this study shows that there is no significant difference in means scores on social adjustment test of the students from parents with high and low educational qualification which indicates that parents‟ education judged by their higher educational qualification has no significant influence on their students (children) social adjustment in senior secondary schools in Ondo state.
Finally the last result of the study shows that there is no significant difference between male and female students (respondents) in their social adjustment test scores. This is indicating that gender does not influence social adjustments of students in senior secondary schools in Ondo state.
The first findings of this study are in agreement with a lot of previous researchers. For instance Denga 1998. In line with the first finding is Domitrovich and Biermann 2001, Olusakin 2005 and Onete, Ekong, Udey and Uweh 2010. The second finding of this study is in disagreement with general view or opinion of most of the previous researches (studies) e.g Anyebe 2003 Davis-Kean 2005 and Durbow, Boxer and Huesman 2009. The last findings of this study was in agreement with that of Nwoke (2011) which shows that there is no significant gender difference in social adjustment of students in secondary school. This indicates that gender has no influence on social adjustment of students in senior secondary schools.
Conclusion
The fundamental issue focused in at hand was on the implications of some key home variables on social adjustment of children in schools within the frame-work of the society. Areas such as parenting styles usually practiced in Nigeria settings that are autocratic, democratic and permissive and parents‟ education judged by their highest educational qualification were x-rayed and examined. Male and female students” difference in social adjustment was also examined.
Three hundred and sixty-eight (368) SS II students were used. They were randomly sampled from ten (10) senior secondary schools in Akure south. With the result of the study, it seems as if the family or home factors which is considered and known over the years, as the key variable that affect school as well as social adjustment is reducing in its‟ effort towards performing such function on the children. This study has as well demonstrated in the need for greater commitment of the parents towards the choice of experiences and skills to be used for grooming or training of their children for proper social and academic adjustment.
The data collected was subjected to statistical analysis using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test. The statistical analyses were based on the use of computer package for social science (CPSS). Result of findings was then subjected to necessary interpretation. It is meant to apply the result of the findings to contemporary situation in our society. This is intended to make contribution to the personal and social adjustments that affect the children in their educational pursuit. The result was meant as well to find (proffer) solutions where necessary as well make adequate contribution towards improving the social development of children in school and the society in general.
Hypothesis one (1) shows the impact of the parenting styles on children’s social adjustment. The result reveals significant difference in mean scores of three (3) different types of parenting’s styles (autocratic, democratic and permissive) examined in the study the mean score of students from democratic parents shown to be higher than those of autocratic and permissive parents. Presently, the study is revealing a significant influence of parenting styles on social adjustment of students in senior secondary schools. The study is also revealing that there is need for dialoguing and give and take between the parents and their children in day to day activities. This will enhance proper personal and social adjustment of children at all level of education
Hypothesis two (2) focused on the influence of parents‟ education on students‟ social adjustment. It was determined by finding the differences in means scores of those students from parents with high educational qualification and those from parents with low educational qualification. This is necessary because of the fact that previous studies have shown that parents‟ education affect both academic and social adjustment of children. Behavioural and social psychologist are of the view that the training and education of the child is one of the functions of parents and the society. The study has shown no significant difference in their social adjustment test, mean scores, showing insignificant influence of parents‟ education on students‟ social adjustment. In most cases, one would have thought that students from highly educated parents should have scored higher means, showing high level of social adjustment.
Hypothesis three (3) did not show significant difference in social adjustment test mean scores between the male and females respondents. Even though the mean scores of the males was a little bit higher than that of female students but the difference is significant. This implies that equal opportunities should still be given to both male and female children in home, school, and in every other aspect of life endeavors in order to strengthen their social and academic adjustment.
Based on the findings of this study the following conclusions became apparent. Students‟ social adjustment is significantly influenced by the kind of parenting style employed by their parents. This is an indication that parents need to abide by the new technological development especially in the area of their general relationship. Democratization of relationship and leadership has been the cry of every developed and developing country. The finding of this study has testified the important of democracy in general leadership and treatment, with students from democratic practicing parents showing socially well-adjusted behavior in the study. More so our society is a developing society which needs the contribution of all and sundry, hence there should not be disparity in the treatment and attention given to the children in their educational training especially between sexes or siblings so as to enhance proper social and academic adjustment.
Recommendation
It is recommended that:-
Since parenting Styles influence the social adjustment of students, parents should endeavor to adopt a style such as the democratic parenting styles that ensures or guarantees the development of some measure of positive self-concept, self-confidence, and self-esteems in the students.
Teacher should be encouraged to use democratic style of discipline in this class room management. This is because the style encourages dialoguing and give and take, which the study revealed that it is better for personal and social adjustment of students.
Parents, teachers and counselors should be in constant communication with their children and students. The strings of communication must never break to avoid loss of control and supervision, which brings students‟ social maladjustment.
Parents and teachers should encourage the children and students to aspire for higher achievement, than that of their parents. This may help them to develop good social adjustment behavior.
Peer relationship should be encouraged. This could be done (achieve) through organizing social functions that can bring students together in an interactive session on a forum, so as to enhance students‟ social adjustment.
Parents should ensure that equal opportunity, attention and treatment are given to both male and female children in terms of education which can lead to social adjustment.
Identification of students with social adjustment problems should be ensured promptly and appropriate step taken to address such problem. Or after identification the problem should be tackled or proper referrals made for the students.
The teacher should inculcate students the act of respecting other peoples‟ views or opinions and even accepting these views where necessary. This could be done and achieved by given students group assignment, projects when members will have leaders and each member made to contribute to the success of this project. This could enhance proper social adjustment.
Parents and teachers should be discouraged to use autocratic and permissive parenting styles which is characterized by strictness domineering, forceful obedience and carelessness which are believed to be harmful to children and students‟ proper personal and social adjustment.
The government and the school should establish recreational centers and encourage the formation of social clubs such as debating society, drama club, and Jets club e.t.c. All these are pure centers for students‟ interaction which facilitate social adjustments at all level.
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